We told you a couple of years ago how Conagra inconspicuously reformulated Smart Balance margarine by reducing its fat content from 64% to 39%.
Now comes the Flora Food Group (formerly Upfield), the maker of Imperial margarine, tinkering with the recipe for its product.
When it was advertised in the ’70s, Imperial had 80% vegetable oil, tasted like butter they said, and made you “feel like a king.”
Boy how times have changed. (For purposes of this story, we will still refer to the product as “margarine” although it no longer meets the legal definition since it has less than 80% fat.)
*MOUSE PRINT:
The most recent previous version had 53% vegetable oil. Clearly there had to have been many interim versions to get from 80% down to just 53%. Now, the current version has only 48%. And the calories dropped from 70 per tablespoon down to 60.
How did they accomplish this? Like Smart Balance, they literally watered down the product. Looking at the nutrition label reveals the change.
*MOUSE PRINT:
In the previous version of Imperial, vegetable oil was the primary ingredient. In the current version, water predominates. But strangely, the fat content remains seven grams per serving. How is that possible?
We asked Flora for an explanation. All a company spokesperson would say is:
Regarding the nutritional information on the label, the serving size and nutritional values are determined through detailed analytical testing in accordance with FDA guidelines. While the overall fat content of the product has been adjusted, the fat content per serving is declared accurately in accordance with FDA guidelines.
Perhaps it is a rounding issue on the number of grams of fat. Who knows?
In the old version the first oil is soybean oil in the second it is palm oil. soybean oil has 104 kcal per 14 g palm oil 120 per 14g.
How is this still good for baking??? A more watered down product has to perform worse right?
I agree, Richard… We are always told not to use margarine with water-content when baking.
I have always bought real butter and always will, i use very little on a monthly basis, so saving money or calories is not important to me.
This is something I don’t spend any money on. I pretty much just buy Blue Bonnet and move on. However, as I’m cooking more and paying attention to things like the differences between oils and butters.
It’s pretty much impossible for one consumer to keep track of all these little changes on all of the different things they buy on a weekly basis.
Interesting also that, unlike the previous one, the current Nutrition Facts table does not show the amount of other fats per serve, only for saturated (2.5g) and trans (0g). Wonder what the other 4.5g is and why not shown?
I purchased Land O’Lakes recently as a last resort and melted the butter only to see much more water expel and the color of the butter is a light yellow rather than the golden yellow of other butters.
I haven’t used margarine since the 70’s (my daughter didn’t like butter, she was a heathen). Butter is much better health-wise, there are so many chemicals in margarine.
Although I never liked Imperial, thought it tasted like peanut butter, which I love, but not on savory foods.
Now I know why some of my baking recipes don’t come out the way they use to. I should’ve figured out they messed with thier recipe.